It's Just A Game
by Kai-Mikaela10
Summary: Fairy Tail Academy High Vs. Sabertooth High. After two years of consecutive losses, It was high time Sting and Rogue take back their schools' championship title. And to do that he would have to take away the reason for FT's victory, Lucy Heartfilia. Because Love blinds people from everything they once thought were important. STICY! :) AU
1. Chapter 1

_**I just have so many ideas going through my mind about this pairing! XD I'm sorry if I have too much on my plate, but I promise I will get things done. I hope you will enjoy this story just as much as you have with the rest:)**_

_**I do not own Fairy Tail!**_

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Chapter 1: The Spark

Sting stepped out of the black limousine, his hair a wild, blonde mess, and his clothes just as rebellious as his looks. His tie was completely undone and his white, collared, long-sleeved shirt was wrinkled. Pulling out his dark sunglasses, he smirked, and glanced at the building, along with its surroundings. On the center wall, he could see the insignia of Fairy Tail Academy High in a baby pink color.

_The color for pussies_, he inwardly laughed at his joke and continued to walk through the main doors of the school, his hands in his pockets. There was hardly anybody outside, the students probably still in their classes, while a few were out for sports. He walked through the hallway, shifting his gaze to carefully observe his surroundings.

Everything was too plain. Too boring for him. It was nothing compared to Sabertooth Academy High, which led to the next question: What the heck was the big deal about FT? Sabertooth seemed to respect the school so much to the point where the student body and staff loathed the school. Then again, the appearance of the school does not really say much about the students or their performances.

"Can I help you?" A female voice stopped Sting in his tracks. Turning his head slightly to the side to take a look, and was rather satisfied by what he saw. A blonde female, in a fitted t-shirt, and black spandex shorts. Her hair was tied in a single pony tail, her eyes a mesmerizing chocolate brown color. His gaze traveled from her rather large breast and down to her silky smooth legs. She had on knee pads and shin guards. A volleyball in her right hand.

"Where's the gym?" Sting tried to say a little as he could, trying not to make his reason obvious. When the female in front of him raised an eyebrow, he inwardly sighed, "I'm new around here. Thinking about transferring to the school so I wanted to check it out."

The girl seemed surprised and finally let her guard down. Sting smirked, _plain and not to mention, sexy, stupid babes_. He had the urge to laugh out loud but stopped himself from doing so. Like hell he was going to go to Fairy Tail, especially when he was going to crush them, along with his team in Sabertooth.

"This way," she turned around and motioned for her to follow him with her left hand. Sting smirked once more at the sight of her swaying hips. They made a left turn near the main doors and entered double doors.

"Heads up Luce!" A volleyball came flying their way and all Sting could do was watch as the blonde female dropped the ball in her hand, took two steps forward, knees bent and jumped in the air to spike the ball. He had to admit, it was a pretty good spike. He now understood why SB High's female volleyball team have lost two consecutive years of their local tournaments, which eliminated them from the national league competitions. Who wouldn't lose their enthusiasm if they lost to a spike like that?

Sting glanced around, noticing that the school's boys' volleyball was practicing as well. He smirked. It would seem Sabertooth was not the only school to practice two seasons before the actual matches. Without bothering to say goodbye, he turned and left. _Fairy Tail, huh?_

* * *

"Luce, who the heck was that guy earlier?" Natsu took deep breaths, his legs bent and hands on his knees. His pink-rose colored hair was wet from sweat, but did not stop him from practicing some more. Whether it was volleyball, basketball, or any kind of sport, he always made sure to practice hard. But of course, he was not going to let anyone take away their championship title for two consecutive years now.

Lucy shrugged, taking a seat on the first step of the bleachers and pulled her hair free from the pony tail, "He said something about transferring here, but I doubt it. I have a feeling he's from another school. I think he's from Sabertooth." She smirked. Sure his sunglasses hid a lot of things, but she had seen the way his lips slightly parted with shock and surprise.

"Those bastards! They're going as far as spying on us just to win? Like hell they will!" Everyone else around them agreed with Natsu's statement.

"Calm down Natsu," Lucy proceeded to untie her rubber shoes, "You have until Spring to bring those Tigers down." When finally untied, Lucy pulled them free from her feet, leaving her in socks. She grabbed the towel from her duffel bag and stood back up, "I'm off to the showers! Girls, we're done for today!"

After a hot shower, Lucy, along with the rest of her team, made their way to the school cafeteria. She sat at the end. Levy was seated across from her, playing with her short, blue hair. Beside Lucy was Lisanna, who was talking to her sister, Mirajane, who was seated across from her, about her recent improvement with her jumps. And on the other side of Lisanna was Erza, who, from what Lucy could see, was probably organizing their schedule for the season.

"Lu-chan, did you hear?" Lucy looked up at Levy, her eyebrow rising in question. "The boys' team might have some trouble this year with Sabertooth. You know how desparate those guys are to get back their title."

Confused, Lucy tilted her head to the side, "Huh? They've been practicing hours Levy-chan. I'm sure they'll be fine. Where did you hear that?"

"I overheard a few girls a few days ago talking about how Sabertooth recruited two new members of their basketball team, and apparently, they're also part of the volleyball team for this coming spring. At first I didn't believe it, but I passed by the courts near the park yesterday and I saw them. They were playing one on one and...just watching them scared me." Levy looked down, a little nervous and worried about the boys, but also because her boyfriend was in the team. She was having difficulty describing what she saw the prior night. Those spikes, so full of force, and yet, their aim and timing were ridiculously perfect, even their reflexes were on top. No one, not one person, could possibly take those hits.

Lucy let out a small laugh, "You worry too much Levy-chan. Are you forgetting? It's not until spring. The guys are going to improve more and more everyday. You should be more worried that their levels of improvement are way beyond average. " She turned to look at the rest of her team, catching their attention, "Everyone, our first match is in three weeks. Everyday, aside from weekends, we're going to be practicing after school hours from 3pm to 5:30pm. We will start by rotating, and determining what each of our weak points are. Stamina and build are also important, so we will continue from where we left off a few weeks ago."

Lisanna and Mirajane squealed in delight, "Eek! I can't wait for the season to start. We're taking Sabertooth down!"

* * *

Sting walked through the streets, making his way home, his best friend, Rogue, walking right beside him. Normally, he would have driven or taken the limo back home, but there was no fun in sitting in a car. It was awkward sitting with his driver, with no one else to talk to. When he does drive, he prefers to be with his friend, at least he would have someone to show off to.

"How'd it go today?" Rogue continued to look forward, the slight breeze swaying his black, silky hair along with it. Unlike Sting, he was more of the silent type, and only around him did he speak. But with contrasting characteristics, there were also the similarities.

"They're not very organized for a strong team. I wanted to laugh when I saw how irregular their practice was. Heck, they even had the girls practicing with them." Sting let out a small laugh. "I'm not going to lie, it looks like the captain of the girls' team is the reason why Minerva lost the last two years. But they all seem pretty stupid to me."

The blonde turned when he heard his friend chuckle. That rarely ever happened, "You're pretty confident with those words Sting. Don't you know, she's also the reason why Sabertooth lost the Academic Decathlon."

Sting's immediately stopped walking, his eyes wide with surprise, "So you're saying, it's not Fairy Tail against Sabertooth? It's that girl against our school." His lips curled into a sly smirk, "On second thought, do you know what love does to people? It blinds them from everything they once thought were important."

Rogue shook his head, "_Do what you have to, to win_," Sabertooth's motto was imprinted in their minds. "For once, you're using your brain. Taking away Lucy Heartfilia, is taking away Fairy Tail's victory."

The blonde male raised an eyebrow, "Eh? You're getting pretty darn serious there Rogue. Is there someone in Fairy Tail High that you want to defeat?" The smirk on his face would not leave. It wasn't often that Rogue agreed with Sabertooth's motto, in fact he never really approved of it.

The two continued to walk until they reach the park, watching kids running past each other, playing in the swings. They stood there for a few moments until they heard laughter across the street. When they turned, they found a young blonde female and pink-haired male. They seemed to be arguing with each other until they would stop and laugh again.

"Natsu, you're such an idiot," Sting immediately recognized the female and smirked, but it did not stay that way for long after a while of watching the two just having fun talking to each other. "You're really asking for trouble, you can't just challenge Laxus into a fight like that."

Natsu thought for a while before grinning like an idiot, "I ca–"

"Well who do we have here?" The duo froze at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Lucy turned, and nearly screamed at the close proximity of Sting's face with hers. He casually placed an arm around her shoulder, "Hey babe. Don't tell me you're actually hanging out with this loser?"

Lucy glared and pushed him off her, while Natsu tilted his head to the side in confusion and observed Rogue and Sting. After a few seconds he finally caught on to what Sting had just said, "Hey! Bastard!"

Sting laughed while Rogue remained stoic. They turned and began to walk away but not before Sting gave Lucy another wink, "I'll see you around, Blondie."

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**Read and Review Please!:) thankyou!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Everyone, I am going to apologize ahead of time if this chapter isn't as great as you may have hoped. **

**My world shattered when I watched episode 175 of Fairy Tail, only to find out that it was the final episode! WHAT?! NOO! I am hoping that they will continue to air the anime soon. I have lost most inspiration and will probably not get over it until the next episode or season is aired. I mean, why cut us off in the best arc! DX**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail *goes off to sulk in the corner***

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Chapter 2: Coincidence

The force put upon the ball was beyond what the guys ever expected, specifically, the freshmen on the team. They knew, almost immediately, that the captain of the girls' team was a monster, a talented player. They watched as their seniors struggled to go against one female. Even their captain, Natsu Dragneel, was already breathing hard from exhaustion, while Lucy Heartfilia was still standing with a satisfied smirk on her lips. Heck, they would rather go against the co-captain, Erza Scarlet, than go against Lucy.

"Eh? You haven't practiced at all over summer huh?" Lucy narrowed her eyes at her best friend. Who shrugged and gave her a small grin. "Well, you have two seasons to get it together and up your stamina. We should also take advantage of the weather while it's still warm outside."

"Sorry Luce. Couldn't help it. There's nothing better than being lazy over summer," Natsu stood up straight, his breathing becoming even. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand and gave Lucy a toothy grin. He knew exactly what she meant. From this point on, everyday, after school, they would go out to the beach to practice the basics and raise their stamina.

The guys on the bench watched as Natsu was given another lecture from Lucy.

"Don't you think those two would make a good couple?"

"Aa, they should just go out already."

"Natsu-san would be so lucky having a girl like Lucy-san."

"She's a little bit scary though."

Levy who was seated beside the line guys on the bench laughed. They clearly did not understand the difference between love and friendship love. And what Lucy and Natsu had was just friendship. Really, really, close friendship. It was understandable that they are often mistaken as a couple, but Levy knew, those two cannot ever see each other as more than friends.

She leaned forward and turned to them, "You guys shouldn't be talking behind your new coach's back."

Everything stilled for a moment, even those on the court. "WHAT?!" even Natsu was dumbfounded by what the blue-haired teen had just said.

"You heard her Natsu. Besides, we can't afford to hire a new coach, not when our funds are low." Lucy looked up. "That's why we have to win this year. Winning means more funding for the school." She then locked eyes with Natsu and gave him a knowing smile.

They were going to win. She knew and had great confidence in him. He has never, not once, let her down, especially when it mattered most. It did not matter if Sabertooth happen upon two amazing players, the guys on their team will put twice as much effort and strength than they could on the court. And she was going to do the same. Defeat Minerva and her team for the third year in a row. If Natsu was going to give it his best, she was not about to do any less.

"Okay, let's call it a day," the members proceeded to pack up and leave the gym, while Lucy, Natsu, Levy, and Gajeel stayed behind to clean up.

Lucy took a seat on the bench, releasing her blonde hair from the braids, allowing it to fall into small waves. She sighed. It was amazing she had enough time for both her studies and volleyball. Her eyes flickered to Levy, who was holding onto Gajeel's arm. He turned away in embarrassment, and Lucy could not help but smile at the couple.

Another sigh escaped her lips. She did not have time for anything like that, though a part of her was longing for someone to share her life with. Someone who will cheer for her while on the court, or someone to hold. A pang of jealousy hit Lucy unexpectedly. She shook her head, unsure why she was even thinking about something so irrelevant. She needed to focus on winning the championship tournament, and getting the boys team to keep up with the new Sabertooth team. If what Levy told her was true, then they would need to double the amount of practice than they already have.

"That's the third one in a row," Natsu walked up to Lucy, noticing her sighing for the third time. He knew just how worried and anxious she could get, especially when it comes to volleyball. "You're overthinking things again." He took a seat beside her and wrapped an around over her shoulder, pulling her close. It was his way of comforting her. Lucy snuggled closer to him, and closed her eyes. "We're going to win this, Luce. I believe in you just as much as you believe in us, if not more."

"Yeah. Thanks, Natsu..." Natsu looked down at his best friend only to find her fast asleep. A soft smile curled on his lips. He would do anything for her. Anything.

* * *

"I'm beat," Sting pulled out a chair and took a seat, Rogue doing the same across from him. They had just left after four hours of nonstop practice and decided to stop by a small cafe for something to eat and drink. Of course, Sting had put more effort in than necessary, and brutally defeated their practice mates. "Sabertooth's really serious about winning this year."

Rogue nodded his head and said no more. He only spoke when the waitress who took their order approached them. Sting made no effort in flirting with the girl, who left blushing. He smirked in satisfaction and turned back to his partner. "You were holding back during practice. Why's that?"

"I just was not in the mood to try today. Not that I needed to put in any effort to win," Rogue shrugged, saying no more as their waitress placed their drinks and food on the table. When she asked if they needed anything else, Sting replied for him and said no, motioning for her to leave.

The two sat there in silence, enjoying their drinks and food, both stuck in their own thoughts. They wondered why they even decided to attend Sabertooth High rather than Fairy Tail, but the answer was already obvious. They wanted to defeat the currently strongest athletic team in the city of Fiore.

The sound of a bell rang in the room, causing the blonde male to turn. His eyes narrowed as he watched Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel, as well as two others, walk into the cafe. The pink-haired teen had one arm wrapped around her shoulder, while the female blonde looked exhausted, but a smile was on her lips. The same waitress who had taken their orders gestured them to a table right next to Sting and Rogue's.

"Well the world must be really small," Sting half heartedly smirked at the two males and two females as they sat down across from each other. Rogue turned his attention towards them, and grimaced at the black haired, and rather large build of a man seated beside Natsu. He had piercings on his face and ears, and was seated across from Lucy's blue-haired teammate.

"Levy McGarden," For once, Rogue had a wide smirk on his face at the sight of Levy. "It's been a while. I didn't think we would ever see each other again."

Gajeel let out a growl, while everyone else raised an eyebrow. Sting was more surprised by the fact the Rogue knew a girl. He rarely ever even socialized with them, he practically avoids them like the plague. But he knew there was more to his words that he would ever say out loud. There was a connection between the two, and Sting's curiosity spiked, but he would save those questions for later.

"Rogue," Levy mumbled, and turned away from his gaze. A few moments of silence before Sting coughed, gaining everyone's attention.

"So, blondie, how're your practices going? You shouldn't take Saber lightly this year. We also have a new promising member on the girls team." He watched as Lucy seemed to come out of her daze, her eyes slightly widening from the information. But his gaze would flicker from her to the arm wrapped around her shoulder. He knew they weren't together, but he couldn't help but hate the guy. If anyone was going to get in the way of his plans, he knew it was going to be Natsu.

"We never underestimate our opponents Eucliffe. And stop calling me that!" Lucy glared at him, and crossed her arms beneath her chest. "What are you? A stalker? Quit following me around."

"Hey, we were here first. In fact, we were at the park first when I last saw you. You must be stalking me," another smirk curled on his lips, as he watched her skin turn a shade of red from anger. She really was easy to piss off, but that was what made it interesting for Sting. "I'm flattered."

Lucy's frowned, "Not even in your dreams, Eucliffe!"

"Oi! Stop messing with Lucy, bastard." Natsu leaned forward and glared at his newfound rival. He hated him already. It bothered him that he could never get any peace and quiet with Lucy, because, he was always around. "Like hell she would ever want to be around you."

Sting eyebrow twitch, "Eh? Who are you? Her boyfriend, last time I checked, you two were just really close friends."

Levy and Gajeel watched nervously as the man taunted their captains to a fight. The two were easily angered, and they were sure they would be kicked out before the sun was going to set. "Uhm...Lu-chan, we should just leave, before Natsu-san ends up destroying the place."

Lucy had to agree with Levy. The last time her best friend had gotten into a fight, they were all banned from the place, and had to pay for any reparations needed. And there were a lot of repairs to be made. She stood up, not even bothering to say goodbye to the two Sabertooth students, grabbed Natsu by the arm, and pulled him out of the shop, Levy and Gajeel following right behind them.

"Lucy! Why the heck did you stop me from kicking that guy's ass?" Natsu whined, but followed Lucy all the while.

"Natsu, we can't afford to get into any trouble this year. Remember the last time you got in a fight? Makarov was close to pulling you out of the team. We were lucky he was nice enough to let it slide." Lucy continued to walk, this time making her way to the park. She stopped and turned to her three friends, "I'll see you guys tomorrow okay? I forgot there's something I have to do."

The other three nodded, and parted ways for home, a little disappointed that they couldn't go to another cafe to hang out. It was too far a distance from their homes to walk to, so they had no other choice but to head on home.

Lucy, however, made her way to the park. She sat down on the swings, holding on to the chains that held it in place and let out an ear piercing scream. She was frustrated, and annoyed at the blonde, arrogant jerk that always seems to be wherever she was. She needed time to think, but time was something she did not have much of. In less than three weeks, the girls' volleyball matches would begin, and she could not afford to get distracted by someone incredibly exasperating as Sting Eucliffe.

"I knew you would be here," Lucy looked up at the sound of the voice and sighed.

"Nii-san, you didn't have to look for me. Aren't you tired from your practice?" She stood up from the swing and made her way to her older brother, Rufus, behind him stood the middle child, another older brother, Laxus.

"We were worried something might have happened to you," Laxus walked up to her and lifted her by the legs, causing her to squeal. He placed her gently over his shoulders, like he used to when they were younger. "You're getting kind of heavy, Luce," he laughed.

Lucy's eyes narrowed, "Baka! Put me down then!" but Laxus made no move to listen to her. He merely laughed and began to walk towards their home, Rufus walking right next to them. "Neh, Rufus-nii, are Sting and Rogue really as good as people say?"

She really did not mean to pry on her brother's team, but her curiosity and worry was building up. She needed reassurance, though, she was not quite sure if she would be reassured by her brother's answer.

"Yeah. Their strong, and flexible on the court. Good reflexes. Their on a whole different level from any one that I've seen play before."

Lucy sighed, "I really hate to do this to you guys, but it looks like I might have to triple your routines." She was talking to Laxus, who groaned in response. It always amazed her that they could all get along, when Rufus had decided to attend Sabertooth rather than Fairy Tail. But she was glad the competition between their teams did not affect their relationship as a family. It was just the three of them now, living in a rather spacious home. They have been independent ever since their mother died, not long after, their father died as well. Rufus and Laxus were the only ones that Lucy could count on, and she really hated the idea of losing them just because of a sport they all love to play.

"No matter. It'll be worth it once we defeat Sabertooth," Laxus laughed again, ignoring the small glare given to him by Rufus.

"That's if you can defeat us," Rufus challenged in return. Just because they were siblings, did not mean they were going to go easy on them. In fact, it was the exact opposite. They were going to put their heart and soul into their game, and being family was not going to stop them from doing so.

Lucy, who stopped listening to the conversation, pulled out of her thoughts. A rather irrelevant question escaping her lips, "Neh, Nii-san, How does it feel like, to be in love?"

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Midnight Meetings

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"Alright Ladies! Let's go!" Lucy clasped her hands together, walking around the group of male students currently setting the volleyball repeatedly on the sandy beach, rotating from one side of the net to the other. She continued to observe, her legs twitching in anticipation before finally joining them in their formation to set the ball over the net. After a few minutes of the warm up, she finally allowed them a short break, "You have five minutes, get a drink of water, and then partner up."

"Damn this stupid heat," Gray, the raven-haired co-captain of the boys teams walked up to where they had placed their belongings earlier, and pulled out a bottle of water. He turned to Natsu before taking a drink, "She's really taking this year seriously."

"Yeah. She's never had us practice this hard before," Natsu took a drink of his own water, dehydrated from the warm up. Had it been in a gym or on the court, it would have been far easier. Lucy was right, they really needed to raise their stamina. "But then again, Luce has always taken volleyball seriously, just not this much." He lifted the bottle once more to his lips before his gaze moved to the blonde female currently yelling at a few guys who apparently were lagging on their jumps, and smiled.

"Oi, flamebrain, check it out, the girls are doing pretty well aren't they?" Gray nudged the pink-haired teen and pointed to the other court just a few meters from where they stood. Lisanna was standing on one side of the net and Mirajane on the other, while the girls formed lines a few feet from them. The sisters were throwing volleyballs in the air, while those in line took turns spiking and running after the ball. "They have some pretty strong spikes...and some really nice asses." The two snickered, clearly loving the view from where they stood.

Lucy walked up to the two and smacked them on the head, "I did not take you here with us just so you can check out the girls! Partner up perverts!" Laughs and chuckles were heard from the other guys, but stopped the moment Lucy sent them a threatening glare.

As soon as the guys were partnered, a devious smirked curled on her lips, making them suddenly nervous. "Gentlemen, you will be playing leapfrog with your partner, seeing as your jumps have drastically diminished. Now, you're all about six footers, it shouldn't be too hard. One of you will bend and touch your toes, while the other will jump over you."

Natsu, along with a few others, had their jaws drop. Jumping over Gray at that height was just ridiculous. Then his eyes flickered to Laxus and Gajeel, suddenly, he did not feel so bad. Taking those guys' weight into consideration, it would be a lot harder for them to jump over the other. Just imagining them was enough to make him laugh inwardly.

"I'll show you an example," Lucy motioned for Natsu to walk up to her, which he complied to. He bent to touch his toes, while the rest watched as Lucy placed her palms on his back, and gracefully pushed herself up to jump over him, landing on his other side. He had to admit, he was afraid that at some point during that jump, she was going to hit his head with her leg. "See now, that wasn't so bad, was it? Now, you will change positions every two minutes...begin."

The boys groaned, but proceeded to do as they were told. This was different from the practices they had the years prior. It was always, practice games against each other, and unleash their power and brute force during the games that actually mattered. Maybe that was the reason why their coach was fired, but they did not complain. And now, they suddenly missed him. Practicing with the girls was just brutal, especially with Lucy as their new coach.

It was around five thirty in the afternoon by the time the two teams finished their practice, Lucy had put them through hell. Well, for the boys that is. She had them run up and down the steps by the pier and then jump on the steps, one by one. A full thirty minutes of running by the shoreline, and then back to jumping on the steps. And although the girls had done the exact same thing, they appeared less beaten than the boys. In fact, it almost seemed as if they had more energy than when they first started.

Now they understood. This was what led them to victory the past two years. A great deal of physical and mental training, enough to even overwhelm the boys team, who also had their victories. But compared to the girls, they looked weak, and if being coached by Lucy meant getting stronger, they would put up with the physical pain with no complaints.

Natsu sat on the stone bench, waiting for Lucy to finish packing her belongings, the others already making their way home. It has always been like this for the past six years. Together, always by each other's side. Along the way, they made new companions, but still, it's always been just the two of them, and he wanted it to stay that way.

He stood up, placing his bag over his shoulder, "Ready, Luce?" He gave her a toothy grin, and she smiled in return and gave him a nod. "Man, I'm beat. I didn't think this was how you practiced for the past two years, Luce."

"Maybe if you just worked out a little over summer, you wouldn't be so fatigued after just a few hours of practice. You guys have it easier, only every two days. The girls have a game soon and we can't slack off." Lucy sighed, and placed her bag on the hand that Natsu held out for her. "Thanks, Natsu." She leaned against him as they walked, the pink-haired male placing an arm over her shoulders.

"Are you forgetting I'm still here?!" The two paused in their tracks and turned to find Laxus glaring half heartedly at Natsu. He marched towards them, his legs slightly shaking from the workout, and pushed them apart, taking Lucy's bag from him as well. "Don't get too close to my sister, bastard!"

"Oi!" Natsu, who was also slightly weak from the practice, returned a full on glare. "She's my best friend. It's only normal. What? Do you have a sister complex?"

The male blonde ignored Natsu's comment, and proceeded to take his sister back home. He just couldn't trust any male around her, that is, aside from himself and Rufus. "Rest up, pinky. You're gunna need it if you wanna win again this year. Doesn't look like your legs can take much more standing."

Natsu continued to glare, but knew he was right. His legs were beginning to cramp and he was sore. He took a seat at the bench, once again, looking up at the sky that turned from blue, to orange, and to an even darker blue. People were leaving the beach and heading home, but he was contented to sitting for a while.

He hadn't realized he fell asleep until he felt someone poking him. Natsu slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to his dimly lit surroundings. He was still at the beach, the lamps on the sidewalk turned on to provide some source of light, but there was someone seated beside him. He turned his head, recognizing the all too familiar silver hair and blue eyes and pink lips that gave him a warm smile.

Sitting straight back up, Natsu stretched and let out a long yawn, his back aching from sleeping on the uncomfortable stone bench. "H...hey Lisanna. What are you doing here out so late?"

The younger of the Strauss sisters shrugged, a tint of pink on her cheeks, "I was out running when I saw you here. I didn't want you to catch a cold so I decided to wake you. I'm sorry."

Natsu chuckled, "It's fine. Thanks for waking me. I probably would have caught a fever if I stayed here any longer." He stood up, as did Lisanna. "Well, I should head home. I'll see ya tomorrow?"

"W...well, I'll walk with you. My house is in the same direction anyways," Lisanna was not entirely sure what to do at the moment. She always felt nervous and slightly giddy around him.

Natsu was rather surprised but shrugged his shoulders, "Sure," and began making their way to their respected homes.

* * *

Sting jumped in the air, his hands gracefully letting go of the ball, but with enough force to make it through the hoop. It was almost midnight, but he was restless and needed to move. He would have spent his time practicing for volleyball, but it was a bit difficult to play by himself. It's been two hours since he left his home for some fresh air, though, he wasn't exactly sure what was making him so antsy, but a little workout relieved him of that feeling.

He still had a hard time getting used to the new city.

He held the ball in his hand and began to dribble at a moderate rhythm, but a flash of gold caught the corner of his eyes causing him to stop. He turned his gaze to the wired fence surrounding the court to find Lucy, on the other side, stopping from her jog. She was in her spandex shorts and a blue tank top, her body glistening with sweat, headphones in her ears. It amazed him that she did not look the least bit tired, especially since she always seemed to have the busiest schedule.

He began to walk towards her, but she was still oblivious to him, probably too engrossed in her thoughts or the music she was listening to. He stopped a few feet from her, the fence the only thing keeping them separated. When she did turn, a surprised look crossed her face. She took off her headphones, and continued to look at him, "Uh..." She was at a loss for words, a faint blush tinting her cheeks that glowed beneath the moonlight. "What are you doing here?...In the middle of the night?..."

Sting raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting her to scream and yell at him, but she just stood there staring at him with her chocolate brown orbs that he had to turn away from. "What? I can't come here to practice? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to go out for a run, so I did. I don't usually see anybody here at this time." The blonde female turned away and tightened her ponytail. She looked out into the distance as if debating on whether or not she should leave. He could see her slightly move, probably uncomfortable that she was talking to him.

"Who the hell runs this late at night?" Sting looked up, also feeling a little awkward. He scratched the back of his head, "Wait there, I'll walk you home."

Lucy was about to protest, but he was already gone. In another minute, he was in front of her, a smirk plastered on his face. "Consider yourself lucky, blondie. It's not every– uh night that the great Sting Eucliffe walks a girl home."

"I didn't ask for you to walk me home!" The female blonde snapped at him, "I'm completely capable of taking care of—"

Before Lucy could finish, she felt herself be pushed against the fence. Frightened for once, she looked up to meet two, deep blue eyes. His right arm was on her left, while the other was holding her by the waist.

"Are you still sure you can take care of yourself?" Sting whispered in her ear, a small shiver running up her spine.

Unable to move, Lucy could only continue look at him, her lips parted in shock. She could feel the blush rising to her cheeks as the realization of the close proximity of Sting's face to hers dawned on her. "Wha—? Y...you! Don't you e...ever d...do that!" She quickly pushed him off her, glaring at the annoying smirk that curled on his lips.

"Shall we then?"

* * *

"Hey, you seem really good at basketball, does that mean you're going to be in Sabertooth's basketball team too?" Lucy placed her arms behind her back. She would admit that she was somewhat curious about the blonde male.

She did not receive a reply, causing her to pout in annoyance. _Fine, he won't talk, neither will I. Hmph! _

It was awkward, and the feeling alone was enough to make Lucy want to run and just escape his rather overwhelming presence. However, he was the enemy and there was no chance in hell she was going to be frightened of some stupid pervert who was a little too touchy not too long ago. Of all the people she could run into, it just had to be him.

"You know, you're very interesting, Heartfilia." His blunt statement had the volleyball team captain blushing. "I hope you don't think too much on this request, but if you don't mind, I would love to be able to have a nice chat with you every once in a while without being interrupted by your pink haired friend."

Lucy's brows furrowed in confusion. Surely the way they talked now should be enough for him. "Wha—"

Before she could finish her question, the sound of her name echoing from the distance could be heard. Sting quickly dismissed himself and walked back from where they came from as Natsu and Lisanna approached the female blonde. They did not seem to have seen the Sabertooth student, as they approached closer.

"Luce, why are you out so late? Didn't I tell you before that it's dangerous running in the middle of the night?" Natsu, leaving Lisanna a few feet behind, ran up to her, and pulled her in for an embrace.

"I know that now," Lucy quietly murmured to herself, the events earlier flashing in her mind. "Anyways, why are you guys out here so late?" She looked over his shoulder, and greeted her fellow team member with a smile.

Lisanna placed her hands on her hips and frowned, "I found your idiotic best friend asleep at the beach! Talk about irresponsible." Now that Lucy was around, she managed to compose herself without stuttering at Natsu like an idiot. Really, it was a bit of a relief that the two never saw each other as more than just best friends, at least it was comforting for Lisanna. "Let's head home."

* * *

Lucy jumped into the warmth of her bed, pulling free of her clothes and undergarments only to have a small piece of paper fall out of her clothes. She quickly unfolded it:

_Hey Blondie,_

_I have practice tomorrow around four in the afternoon. If you'd like to come watch, you're free to do so. We can have coffee afterwards._

_See you then,_

_Sting E._

Lucy blushed. Was it a date?! Until realization dawned on her and a loud shriek had the whole neighborhood awake. "How— How...When did he put this in my bra?!"

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed that chapter.**

**I'm sorry for the long wait, as I have been busy with my job and everything, as well as preparing for college. Not to mention I had a really terrible writer's block. I hope you all understand.**

**Anyways,**

**It would very much be appreciated if you reviewed! Reviews inspire me!**

**Thank you!**


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